A Different Turn of Events
by lilmizzhugable13
Summary: What if Rose hadn't remembered her past life when she looked at that picture of her and Jake at the dance? Without her help in defeating the Dark Dragon, Jake barely won, almost losing his life in the process. Still, he couldn't find it in himself to turn Rose away when she came knocking on his hotel door with questions. Can Jake help Rose remember, or will she be frightened away?
1. Chapter 1

Jake was in a lot of pain.

There was really no word to describe how much pain he was in. With every slight movement, every slight breath he took, Jake found himself moaning. His last (and final) battle with the Dark Dragon had been a lot more difficult than any of them anticipated. Despite every dragons in the world being there, they were obviously overpowered. It took some strategies Jake didn't even know he could plan and a miracle, but they won. Jake almost died in the process, having been beaten roughly throughout the battle; although, he can't lie and say he wished he wasn't in this condition.

He had saved his family from almost any injury (minus a few bruises), saved others in dying, and also saved the entire world from destruction, something the council kept thanking him for yesterday. Three days after the One Thousand Year Toast, Jake had finally woken up. Not only was he welcomed by his friends, family, and council, but also pain. He could feel every broken bone, torn tissue, gash, and bruise, but had to put on a brave face. He was the American Dragon after all. Sure he'd never been in serious situation such as this one, but as he grows up, his duties will rise in severity of these proportions, something the council reminded him. Basically, they thanked him and said it wasn't their fault he was in this condition.

Jake scoffed then winced. It's been four days since the battle, and he still hasn't gotten used to his injured body. Jake had never been a person of limitations, and now that he was confined to a bed, he felt restless. Useless.

It probably wouldn't of been this if Rose had fought with them, but he blew that option when he attacked her outside her school. Looking back now, Jake could see the fault in his confrontation with her. He was too rash, too quick in speaking with her. He practically screamed the truth out to her instead of trying to ease her into it and trying to jog her memory with little things. Granted he only had a few hours so he was limited in ways of easing her, but he didn't have to force her to listen to him. If he had just thought rationally about this, them maybe their conversation wouldn't of ended with him in handcuffs and in the back of a police van. But then again, Jake wasn't exactly too keen on thinking rationally.

Jake breathed out a faint laugh, something his ribs protested.

"Uh Jakey, why you laughing at nothing?"

"It's probably the pain that's driving him to madness." Haley's reply to Trixie's question is what made him open his eyes and clear his throat.

"Trust me, the only thing that'll drive me crazy is you," he croaked to Haley, causing her to laugh.

"It's my job, big brother," she replied sweetly before walking out the room and yelling, "Mom, Dad, Gramps, Jake's awake!"

Spud walked into his line of vision. "How you doing, Jake?"

"For being beaten to a pulp but still saving the world, I'm doing pretty good," Jake joked. The atmosphere was so tense, it practically suffocated him.

"Good man, cause you nearly scared the crap outta me!" Trixie included, hovering over Jake on the opposite side of Spud. They made eye contact with Jake, giving him a smile before the adults and Fu Dog walked in.

"Jake," They sighed and gave him a smiled. Jake forced another smile. _Great,_ he sarcastically thought. _Just what I wanted: a pity party._ Instead of saying anything in acknowledgement, he put his usable arm on the bed and tried to force himself up. It was a lot of work and pain, something Fu noticed. He quickly jumped on the bed, walked under Jake's slightly elevated back, and helped him up.

"How you doin' kid?" Fu said once Jake was up. Jake shifted himself until his back hit the headboard. He grabbed the pillow he was sitting on and slid it behind him. Once he was comfortable (or as comfortable as he would be), he laid back and breathed heavily, feeling his lungs constrict against his injured ribs. Soon, his breathing turned to wheezing, but he kept that hidden. He had to put up a front for the audience that was anticipating for his reply.

Jake smiled again. "I'm not the best, but I can be worse." His vague reply seemed to be exactly what everyone needed. If he had lied and said he was in tip-top shape, the pity would pile on. Being practical was the best thing he could do.

He looked over to the nightstand next to him and saw the standard hotel clock flash 13:48pm. He then looked back at the party in the room. They chatted lightly about what happened while he was sleeping. Trixie and Spud broke the Jacuzzi, his mom and dad ate in the hotel restaurant (the food was mediocre, but the decor was incredible), Gramps was following up with the Dragon Council on the aftermath of the Dark Dragon, Haley already completed her homework for the summer, and Fu was still on the lookout for a squirrel he failed to catch earlier.

Once it was two in the afternoon, Jake looked toward his dad. He was talking animatedly about the incredibly huge golden dragon sculpture that was hung in the ceiling throughout the entire restaurant. The elephant in the room was thrashing around for attention.

"Dad," Jake croaked out. His throat burned, and Jake barely recognized how much he craved for water.

His dad turned to him. "Yes, son?"

Jake swallowed hard. "What's next on your list?" Jake hated the way he visibly stiffened, how he laughed nervously. Before his dad could make an excuse, Jake continued, "No. You will not stay in the hotel this entire vacation."

Jake's dad opened his mouth to argue, but Jake quickly stopped him. "Dad, I know I'm injured, but I don't want you guys to waste this vacation."

He could tell his dad was still on the fence about leaving his son, but soon his mother agreed with Jake. Then his sister. Then his grandfather. Then his friends. It was clear to Jake's father that he was outnumbered, and he couldn't be the villain right now, not after his family just fought and stopped another villain a few days ago. With that mindset, he reluctantly agreed to go sightseeing in another part of Hong Kong, something that was enjoyable but not to confining incase Jake needed them.

"We'll stay with Jakey," Trixie offered, one that Jake refused.

"You guys came on this vacation with us, so you get to experience it too," Jake argued. "I don't need a babysitter. I'm just going to be sleeping all day."

"Yes. Jake does need rest to allow his dragon blood to help heal him," His grandpa added. Jake only nodded.

"I'll be fine, really." A minute of silence passed before Jake's dad sighed, telling his family to get inside the car. Soon, everyone was showering Jake with warnings.

"Please, be careful sweetie."

"Yeah. Don't kill yourself, Jake. That's my job."

"Listen up, kid. Don't do anything stressful."

"Fu's right. You need to rest your body."

"You betta, Jakey. I swear, if I find ya walkin' all 'round this place..."

"Whatever you do, just don't go into the hot tub, man. You'll get the surprise of your life."

Jake just nodded at everything that had been thrown at him. He never noticed when his dad walked out, so it was surprising when he walked back in with a large kettle, two mugs, and a bottle of pain relievers all on a tray. Of course, hot chocolate. Jake held back his laugh but couldn't stop his smile. Then came the nagging of his father. Be safe, don't leave the bed, make sure not to let anyone in the hotel (how was he suppose to do that if he couldn't leave the bed?), sleep all day, don't go overboard on the pain relievers because he's trusting Jake, don't be afraid to call any of them on the hotel phone no matter the additional cost, and, most importantly, get well.

"I will dad. Have fun," He said.

"We'll be back at six!" His father reminded him, and with that, everyone was gone. It was only Jake and his thoughts, something that scared him. Although he didn't want his family to stay in hotel, he didn't want to be alone. He was started to regret turning down his friend's offer in staying with him, but he scolded himself on his selfish request. He did invite his friends on this vacation, so they should be able to enjoy it.

Jake took a deep breath, one his chest protested against, but then again, his chest protested against everything he did. His eyelids felt heavy, so he decided to sleep off the hours alone. What else was he suppose to do? Watch TV in a language he barely understood? The hotel did offer American channels but at a price, one that Jake found a little too hefty. Then again, this entire hotel seemed hefty. They had a golden statue of a dragon in their restaurant. Even this hotel room that Jake was staying in had its own Jacuzzi. There was also separate bedrooms each with their own bathroom, a kitchen, and a balcony with a beautiful view. Jake wanted to shudder at the thought of how much this room could cost but decided against it when he felt his broken arm throb. The pain reminded him of the sweet escape sleep was offering him.

Jake had just closed his eyes when he heard the door knock. His eyes shot open, wide awake and staying silent. Maybe it was just his imagination. When there was no other sound, he decided that it probably was his medicine-induced mind. Jake closed his eyes again and was starting to get comfortable when the knocking happened again, this time faster and louder. "JAAKE!" He could hear his sister's voice yell from the other side of the door.

"What Haley?" He yelled as loud as he can without straining his lungs much.

"Open up! I forgot something!" Jake groaned. Of course his sister would be the one to do her job and annoy him to his possible death.

"Why can't you open it?"

"Dad didn't give me his key because I am suppose to have your key, the one you lost and told me not to tell dad about," Haley said, somehow turning the situation around to make him feel responsible. He did lose the key, though. He notice its disappearance right before they left to Victoria Peak and begged Haley not to tell their dad. She agreed without a bargain, saying she'd collect his debt later on.

Even though part of this situation was his fault, he knew Haley could've easily gotten another key with her manipulating acting. So was he going to open the door? "Dad said I can't leave my bed." Jake smirked.

"Dad also said I should never lie to him." Jake's smirk was replaced with a scowl. His sister always has to one-up him.

"Alright, just give me a minute," He says, bracing himself for the pain about to come. He took a breath and forced himself to sit up. Once he was up, Jake wanted to cry. Just as before, there was no words to describe how much pain he felt. Still, he placed his right hand on the nightstand next to him and stood up. He felt a shot of pain on his sprained ankle, but it was nothing compared to everything else he felt. Luckily, there was many things by his side he could use for support. After placing his hand and limping past a rail, tables, chairs, and a doorknob, Jake made his way to the door. He opened it and saw Haley rush past him to the bedroom he was just in. He was ashamed when Haley reappeared in front of him with her backpack in less that five seconds.

"Thanks, big brother," she let out in a sarcastically sweet voice. Jake closed the door as his reply. He groaned when he turned around noticed there was nothing his right arm could reach; there was only open space.

Once again there was a knock. "Jake, open up! I forgot my camera!" Haley was lucky Jake hadn't moved yet. He turned back around and opened the door. Again Haley ran past Jake and this time went to the kitchen counter, grabbing the device on it. She ran past him, saying a quick "Thanks" and was out. Jake closed the door and leaned against the wall. He just wanted sleep, but he needed to work for it. Apparently, saving both the magical and human world from absolute destruction wasn't enough for Fate to let Jake have an easy recovery.

He had just taken a step when he heard Haley knocking on the door. "JAAAKE!" Jake groaned, but his throat was too dry, so he let out a cough. That cough hurt his chest, so he got off the wall and placed his good (well, better) hand on his chest. He rubbed it for a while before opening the door. His sister looked at him.

"I'm fine. Just get whatever you need to," He said. Thankfully, Haley didn't pry and only ran to the sitting room to get an umbrella. "Are you forgetting **anything** else?" Jake asked, emphasizing the word 'anything'. Haley only nodded.

"Nope. That's all."

"Good," Jake said, then put his hand on his face. "Then can you help me back to the bed?" He mumbled, a little ashamed at his request. Haley didn't find it embarrassing, though.

"Sure," she simply said, something Jake was grateful for. Her words weren't drenched in guilt; her eyes didn't show sympathy. She simply just agreed, so he gave Haley his hand and used her as support to limp back to the room. "You weigh like a thousand pounds!" Haley said, struggling at the amount of weight Jake was putting on her.

"No I don't. You're just weak," Jake teased. Still, he placed more weight on his ankle; they were almost to the bed anyways. Once they got there, Jake sat down and allowed Haley to help him into bed. Jake let out a grateful, "Thank you," when he was situated.

Haley waved him off. "It's nothing. It's also a sibling's job to take care of their sibling when injured. Oh and here," she said, walking to the closet in the adjacent wall. Once she opened it, she grabbed the set of crutches in there and took them out, placing them next to Jake. "Dad completely forgot about these and wanted me to give them to you."

"Thanks, Haley," Jake said again.

"Hey, what are sisters for," she said, walking out before adding, "besides annoying their brother to death." Jake smiled and watched as she walked out, yelling a goodbye as she exited the room.

Jake was once again alone. Despite Haley's entrance being spontaneous, it definitely wasn't a nuisance or unpleasant. Jake actually found himself missing her presence, something he'd never admit to. Instead, he decided to close his eyes again and try to sleep, but it seemed Fate hated him today and was woken up with another knock. _Haley,_ he found himself grumbling. All the brotherly love he felt earlier on was replaced with frustration. _Once I get better, I swear I'll make you pay for this._

He, once again, forced himself up and grabbed the crutch. He felt a sharp pain in his lower abdomen where one of his deeper cuts were. He looked down and waited for a second, trying to assess any extra damage he inflicted on himself. He felt relieved when no blood stained the bandages. The last thing he needed was an open wound.

Still looking down at his stomach, he realized he was shirtless. Now that he thought about it, maybe he should put on a shirt. Jake did feel a little insecure about his physique. Thanks to his duties as the American Dragon, he did gain muscle. His chest was a little puffed out, his arms were well toned, and his abs were visible but not sculpted. Even though he was in good shape, he was nowhere near the body he would feel comfortable being shirtless in.

He heard Haley knocking for a second time. "I'm coming," Jake said to his impatient little sister, ignoring the shirt dilemma. That was the last thing he should be annoyed with. Well, at least now he didn't have to struggle in getting to the door. He grabbed one crutch, adjusted it to his height, and used it to help himself up. After slipping it under his arm, he made his way to the door. Although his body still felt pain, it wasn't as much as before when he limped his way to the door; it was also much faster and less energy-consuming.

Jake started to open the door. "What did you forget now, Haley?" Jake said with hostility, expecting to see his sadistic little sister. Instead, he saw someone he thought he'd never see again. Dressed up in a white school shirt, plaid blue skirt, knee high socks and platform shoes stood...

"Rose?"


	2. Chapter 2

**There's a few curse words in here (I think there's two). Just a little warning. That's the reason for the rating, in case you're wondering.**

"Jake!" She exclaimed in surprise, as if she didn't expect to see Jake. Or maybe she didn't expect to see him battered, bandaged, and bruised, using a crutch for support. "A-are you okay?" Apparently, it was the latter.

Jake, however, did not have any time for hospitality. He didn't have the energy to play games with her. "What are you doing here?" He asked, ignoring her question. If he had spoken in a hostile tone, he didn't notice.

Rose stiffened. Immediately, she regretted coming over here, but she needed to. She needed answers, and she wasn't going to get them by chickening out. Still, it didn't stop the butterflies in her stomach.

She extended her arm, holding out a red thing towards Jake. It was after a few moments of staring at the thing that Jake realized it was his jacket. He was dumbfounded. How could he have not noticed his favorite jacket was missing? It was his signature look, so why did it easily go unnoticed by him? Then again, he was out saving the world. That seemed like a reasonable excuse.

"I hope you don't mind," Rose started, "but you had your hotel key in there. It had the room number and everything, so I just thought I should return it." Her reasoning seemed innocent enough, but Jake knew her better. He was, and still is, in love with her. He practically has a section of his dream realm dedicated to her. He knew she was here for something else, and like he said before, he didn't want to play games.

"Why are you really here?" He asked, grabbing his jacket and carelessly throwing it to his side. He could pick up his jacket any other time, but this time with Rose was precious (although right now, he isn't treating it like it is).

Rose just stared at him, her innocent blue eyes searching for something. "I just wanted to return it."

At that, Jake laughed bitterly. He immediately regretted it as he felt pain seizing his upper chest and broken arm. He quickly wrapped his right arm around his torso and leaned against the wall wincing, his crutch falling on the ground with a loud clank. Rose was going to place an arm on his shoulder when Jake stepped away from her touch. He stepped a little too fast that pain shot through his sprained ankle, but nothing compared to the pain he felt when he saw Rose's hurt expression.

Still, instead of apologizing, Jake said, "Although I don't know you in this life, I did know you in the last, and I know you can't lie for shit." He was done with her innocent act. He was in pain physically, she was putting him in emotional pain, and his mental health wasn't so great. He found himself wishing for the loneliness he had been dreading before. "So if you're willing to lie to your parents about being here, then you didn't just come here to give me back a fucking jacket."

Rose was playing with fire. She tried to work her way inside in a comfortable manner, but there was no way that was possible now. Jake was agitated; she could tell by his voice. There was no playful tone in his words, none of his hipster diction. Instead, hostility took its place. Jake was a ticking time bomb, one that Rose needed to defuse quickly.

And yet, no words came out. She wanted to ask him all the questions she desperately wanted answers to, but her mouth couldn't work. Instead, she just stared at Jake with desperation, hoping he would understand. She hoped he did know her as well as he said and wasn't just being full of himself, but Rose believed Jake wasn't like that. Even now, as she's looking into his eyes, Rose felt so many things about Jake. For Jake. Things that scared her, things that she couldn't comprehend, things she hoped Jake could make sense of. Many thoughts came rushing to her head at the moment, but her head locked onto one.

How could Jake's eyes so black?

"I want to talk," she said without her realizing it. Her abruptness caused Jake to scowl.

"Do you really want to talk, or do you have police waiting on standby to take me to a mental asylum?" Rose cringed. She admits it was a mistake for her to call her parents and have Jake taken away, but what could she have done? She was approached by a guy she hadn't seen her entire life and was being told about a past life of dragons and hunters she never experienced. She was scared, which was something Jake realized.

Jake sighed. He shuffled aside, opening the door more before saying, "Come in. This will take a while." Rose was hesitant but still walked in.

The room was just like any other hotel room, albeit more luxurious than what she had been accustomed to. Rose heard the door close behind her. Her hand unconsciously went into the pocket of her skirt, finding comfort in the object inside which Jake noticed but didn't press on. Instead, he picked up the crutch (which was slightly difficult but not impossible) and limped back to the bedroom, Rose following him. Jake started to sweat once he got near the edge of the bed and was more than glad to sit down. He started to pant before forcing himself to the position he was in when his entire family was here. He closed his eyes and took a moment to compose himself. When his eyes reopened, he saw Rose standing at the door-frame, unsure on what to do.

 _Does she need a written invitation?_ Apparently so. "You can sit on the bed. Everyone else has already," he joked, trying to ease her nerves. After all, he had been rude to her in the beginning; the least he could do was make things less awkward.

Rose hesitantly made her way to the bed before climbing on it and sitting down next to Jake. She had her legs folded in traditional chinese culture, something Jake found disturbing. It made her living a completely different life all more surreal.

He let out a sigh before reaching over the nightstand, not looking. He was reaching for the bottle of pain relievers but instead touched the hot kettle. The pain didn't come, though. Simple injuries such as stubbing one's toe at the leg of a table or, in this case, touching something hot did little to nothing to him. Jake's gone through much worse, such as a few nights ago.

He took his hand off of the kettle, inspected the angry burn, and sighed before looking back at Rose. She was cringing at his hand then looked at him, waiting for a reaction. All she got was a shrug from Jake (well, a half shrug since one arm was currently immobile), before he offered, "Do you want some hot chocolate?"

Rose looked back at him, a little astonished at the lack of pain Jake was showing. If that happened to Rose, she'd probably be crying. Then again, if Rose would have been in Jake's position right now, she probably wouldn't be this welcoming. She probably wouldn't have even survived whatever he went through.

Rose blinked as a mug of hot chocolate was in front of her. Jake was awkwardly stretching the mug towards her, a sight that made Rose quickly take the mug and mutter her gratitude. Anything to relieve pain from Jake.

Jake actually looked at the nightstand this time and grabbed the pill bottle. He quickly realized he wouldn't be able to open it with just one hand, so he looked over to Rose and asked, "Can you open this for me?"

Rose quickly nodded and set her mug inbetween her lap. She reached over to grab the pill bottle. The usefulness of Child Lock was something that was debatable. On one hand, it helped keep children from accidentally swallowing the contents and causing serious harm to themselves. On the other hand, it made the medicine much harder to access from their weak patients. Still, despite it's controversial status, it was something that is around and will most likely stay around for a long time. In this current situation, Rose felt the feature was only being difficult.

She opened the bottle, poured the recommended amount of pills, and placed them on Jake's hand. He let out a quick, "Thanks," and placed the pain relievers into his mouth, getting his own mug afterwards and taking a gulp. He felt the placebo begin to trick his mind into believing his body hurt less and took another sip of the hot liquid. He felt the heat go down his throat and throughout his body, leaving a relieving warmth that helped the dull aches he felt some places. He looked back in time to see Rose take a sip of her own hot chocolate and smile.

The warmth of her smile did more to him than any medicine could.

Rose looked up from her mug, her eyes landing on Jake's injured chest. His ribs were wrapped. She didn't know the actual internal damage, but judging by the way Jake was wincing with every breath, Rose speculated they were bruised. She highly doubted they were broken since Jake was able to move around, but then again, this situation isn't exactly a normal one. Numerous bandages were splattered around to cover up the other minor cuts and burns. One wound near his abdomen seemed to be more fatal than the others by the way it was patched up. Dried blood and bruises peeked through the negative area. It wouldn't surprise Rose if those injuries left scars behind.

Jake felt slightly uncomfortable being inspected. He knew he should've put on a shirt, but part of him was too lazy to put on a shirt. Another part wanted Rose to ogle his chest, or whatever was visible under his bandages. Another part wanted Rose to feel guilty in her reluctance to remember the truth.

Jake couldn't tell which the dominate part was.

Rose was still assessing the rest of his body. His left arm was no doubt broken. The way it was hanging on the mock arm sling was proof enough. He had cuts, scabs, bruises, and burns on his right arm. His right fingers and wrist were bandaged individually. His palm was now sporting a red, angry burn. His right ankle seemed sprained, but other than that, there was no other serious injury on his legs, at least on whatever wasn't blocked by his shorts. Bruises covered both legs, but with the exception of one ugly purple-blue bump on his left knee, they didn't seem too bad. She made his way back to his face. How his face managed to get out practically unscathed was a mystery. The only wound there was a cut on his neck, but it didn't seem deep enough to have been fatal.

Overall, Jake Long was not okay. Still, it didn't stop Rose from asking again. "Are you okay?" She didn't receive an answer before, but now she will.

Jake sighed. "Of course not," he answered honestly. The entire reason Rose was here was to hear the truth about their situation, and although his condition might not have been one of Rose's intentions, Jake still wanted to be completely honest with her in whatever question she might ask. "But dragons heal fast, so I'll be alright in a couple of days."

Jake saw Rose flinch at the word 'dragons'. So it seemed Rose still wasn't convinced on Jake's outburst yesterday. _Of course not, idiot. That's why she's here in the first place,_ Jake thought. He sighed for the umpteenth time that day, and it was only 2:30. Who knows how many more he'll sigh.

Rose opened her mouth, made a sound, and closed it again. Jake raised an eyebrow. He waited patiently for her to speak, watching her fiddle with the mug in her hands. Finally, she looked back at him and said, "Can you, um," she fumbled out a few more noises, "can you show me, or..." She trailed off, but Jake understood what she meant.

He held out his working hand in between them and watched as a small amount of smoke enveloped his hand. The place his hand once stood was now replaced by his red dragon claw. Rose's eyes widened. She couldn't believe it. She snatched his hand and pulled it to her, causing Jake to groan in protest. She quickly released his hand and retracted her hands to her chest, breathing out a haste apology. Jake nodded his head sideways, trying to express how trivial her actions were. He took a breather before holding his hand back out to her.

Rose didn't hesitate to grab his hand (or claw), but she was more cautious. She grasped his claw gently, her fingertips working on the red scales that enveloped his wrist and palm. It all felt very strange. His skin felt hard and edgy, but the mushy flesh of his hand was still distinct. Despite its shiny coat, his scales were the opposite of slimy. They followed throughout his entire hand until they reached the place where his fingernails were now replaced with gray claws. They were sharp, so sharp that Rose thought they'd cut her just by looking at them. She ran a finger on them, feeling the contrasting smoothness compared to the rest of his hand. There was still dried blood on the tips of them, something Rose paid much attention to. She could only imagine who's blood this was. She looked back at Jake's injured body and wondered about the potential his claws held. How much damage they could do; how much damage they did do. She took in his claw again. It was simple enough, but deadly. It was exposed enough, but defensive. Rose wondered whether if it was an interperitation of its owner.

Meanwhile, Jake watched Rose with careful eyes. It hurt to change his hand to his claw, since his fingers were broken, but it was worth appeasing Rose's curiosity. She was here in his hotel room, willing to listen to what he had to say, touching him. He missed her touch so much. The pain was a small price to pay to have her gentle touch ease both his body and his mind.

Jake closed his eyes and relished in the feeling. Who knew when he'd feel her touch again, if he ever did. He recognized the possibility well and memorized this moment.

Rose let go of his claw too soon for his liking, but he didn't protest. Instead, he retracted his hand and changed it back, feeling relieved when he saw his bandages were still intact. The last thing he wanted was an open wound or loose casts. "I can't turn completely in this condition. It'll only slow down my healing." Rose nodded. Although she was disappointed, she was still grateful for all Jake was doing, especially after she almost had him arrested.

Rose cleared her throat and took a sip of her now mildly hot chocolate. "How did you become like this?"

Jake was on the fence on how to answer the question. She was still unconvinced about the existence of the magical world, so could he really come out with the truth? Should he and just hope for the best? Should he put off explaining his current state until he explained everything, or at least the majority?

In the end, he took a gulp of his chocolate and said, "The Dark Dragon."

Rose's reaction was just as expected. "The Dark Dragon..." She repeated, trying to rack her brain for any memory. Although the name seemed familiar, she couldn't pin down anything specific.

Jake just nodded. "Yeah. The Dark Dragon is an evil dragon who believed humans and magical creatures were weak, so he wanted to take control of both the magical and human world," Jake explained. Rose stared at him before squinting her eyes a bit.

A moment of silence passed before Rose spoke again. "He... was he big?" Jake nodded. Rose continued, "He was also black... and breathed a yellow-orange fire." Jake nodded again. Although the Dark Dragon had breathed black and blue fire yesterday, Rose wasn't there last night and couldn't of known the difference from their first encounter. "I think I remember him."

Jake nodded once again. "He was a mutual enemy for both of our kind."

"Oh!" Rose gasped lightly. With a new vigor, she closed her eyes and said, "Um..." Jake's interest was piqued. Rose opened her eyes and asked, "When you talked to me yesterday, you said something about a Huntsclan."

Jake understood what she was asking. "You were a part of it," He confirmed, nodding to her dragon birthmark. "Those who were born with a dragon birthmark were immediately a Huntsmember."

Rose stared at her birthmark and soaked in all the information, ignoring the dull ache in her head. "What exactly were the Hunstclan?" She asked, though she had a feeling she knew what the answer was. Jake saw it, but still answered her question.

"They were a clan of humans that believed magical creatures were below humans and shouldn't exist with them."

Rose, however, wasn't satisfied. "And what did they do?"

Jake hesitated. He knew Rose wasn't as savage as the others in the Huntsclan. He knew who Rose truly was. He knew all the struggles she faced, internally and physically, while being a Huntsgirl. He knew what her favorite color, food, music, everything was. He knew her like the back of his hand. He didn't know the Rose that was standing in front of him. He didn't know how she grew up, what she likes and dislikes. He didn't know what made her tick and laugh. He didn't know how she would handle the truth.

He also didn't know telling her the truth was going to be this hard. He imagined that when he talked to Rose, she would immediately remember the past and they would go back to the way they were. He imagined it'd be easy.

But then again, nothing in his life had ever been easy. So what will he do?

Jake sighed, once again forcing himself to tell the truth. "They would hunt and kill all magical creatures in any way they wanted."

Rose's reaction was somewhat surprising. He didn't know what he was expecting (maybe crying or fainting in shock), but her reaction, or lack of thereof, wasn't part of his expectations. Rose just let out a breath she seemed to be holding, staring down at her birthmark. Jake fought of the strongest urge to hug her since he was, technically, a stranger to her, despite the fact that she was the exact opposite to him.

"Including dragons?" She asked after a while, staring at Jake with her baby blue eyes. It took Jake a while to nod.

"Including dragons," He confirmed. Rose looked down at the already cold hot chocolate she held in her hands. She felt guilty at the amount of liquid still left in the mug; she hardly made a dent in it.

Rose let out a small hum of disapproval that would've gone unnoticed if it weren't for Jake's impressive hearing. Rose composed herself, setting the mug on the foot-board behind her. "So we were mortal enemies?" She asked, still looking down at her now empty hands.

 _Rip it off like a band-aid, Jake,_ he told himself. "We were probably more than enemies. You even said you were born to kill me."

Rose nodded before looking up at him. "If that's true, then why are you..." She didn't know how to finish the question. What did she want to say? Why was he so nice to her? Why was he trying to make her remember everything? Why was he still alive? Why was he not trying to kill her?

Jake stopped her train of thought by sighing. It was only then that Rose realized how difficult this must be for him. Here he was, injured and in pain, and yet he was still willing to speak with her, even when she almost got him arrested. He was trying to desperately to make her remember this past life Rose still doesn't believe ever happened, despite the proof Jake has presented to her so far. She was convinced he was a dragon and that he had fought (apparently) their dangerous enemy, but she still couldn't get it through her head that somehow she was involved in all of this.

"You came close to killing me, once," He said, leaning back and closing his eyes. He gave off the impression that he was tired, but really, he was remembering the night. He liked to consider that night as the night that changed everything for them. Sure, Jake already knew about Rose's true identity, but that night was when she found out his. The group of magical underdogs and he had just teared through the Huntsclan's camp. He was offering the promised air-coverage when suddenly he fell from the sky. The next thing he knew, he was tied to a tree. He could still remember how out of breath he was, how tight the rope holding him was. He had rope burns a couple of days afterwards.

"What happened?" Rose asked cautiously.

Jake let out a small, natural smile. "You let me go."

Rose stayed silent. She wasn't sure what to do, what she could do. This was something that was obviously important to Jake and possibly to her too, so she let the silence drag on. After a while, she also closed her eyes, holding back a laugh. It was a little amusing the situation she found herself in right now, and only now did she realize she could laugh at it. She also let out a small smile, then opened her eyes to look at the clock.

16:38. She promised her family she'd be back from the library at six for dinner. She looked over at Jake again, smiling at his relaxed figure. She remembered the way his claw looked in the place of his hand and tried to work her way backwards into remembering his dragon figure. Although it was difficult and took her a while, she could finally picture Jake as a dragon. She couldn't confirm her vision for sure, but she was fairly certain in her prediction. Suddenly, she realized she had seen Jake before, or at least his dragon form.

She took a deep breath, one that caused Jake's eyes to open and find hers. She was still sitting with her legs crossed, waiting patiently. When she saw his acknowledgement, she asked, "Why?" The question was long overdue; still, she didn't regret the silence they went through.

"We were friends," Jake said. He felt a bit guilty. Although he wasn't necessarily lying, he was withholding their true status. Although, what exactly were they? Circumstances had made them on and off so many times that Jake lost track, but they hadn't been nothing. So if he didn't know himself, then how could he tell her? "You didn't want to be a Huntslayer, either," He continued. This information caught Rose's attention.

"I didn't?" She asked, almost relieved.

Jake nodded. "No, you didn't. You hated hunting down mythical creatures and slaying dragons."

"Did I, though?" Rose asked before clarifying, "Did I ever slay one?"

Jake sighed. "I don't know. I wish I could tell you," and he did. He desperately wanted to ease her troubles, "but you never wanted to talk about it. We tried to stay away from our roles in the magical world when we were together."

Rose nodded before looking down at her hand. She needed time to process the information given, and Jake respected that. "But how could my parents allow me to do this?" She asked. "Or did they not know about it?"

Jake dreaded this part. He knew he would have to explain it at one point, but he had hoped the time would come later. He sighed again. "You didn't have parents. From the moment you were born, you were taken by the Huntsclan and raised by them."

Rose suddenly jerked back, her back hitting the elevated foot-board painfully. There was no time to dwell on the pain because she knocked over her practically full mug. She let out an gasp then quickly scuffled out of the bed to the floor. She fell at the ground and attempted to contain the liquid, to stop it from spreading and making a mess. _Apparently, this is all I'm good at,_ she miserably thought, _making a mess._ After a while, Rose calmed down to realize her attempt was futile. Instead, she stayed still, huffing and holding back tears.

"So basically I was just a killer," She huffed, still not meeting Jake's gaze. She was just staring at the spilled drink, watching it spread past her hands on the wooden floors. She wasn't asking him; she was telling him, but that didn't stop Jake from saying otherwise.

"You were trained as a hunter," He started, forcing himself off of his bed, forgetting his crutch, and limping towards her. His ankle hurt much more now, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. He lowered himself next to her and grabbed her arm, forcing her to stop her to turn to him. Jake looked at Rose straight in her eyes while saying, "Believe me, you are the most humane person I've ever met."

Rose stared at Jake for a while, nodding in confirmation. Jake didn't let go of her, but Rose didn't seem to mind. It was comforting, something she needed at the moment. "Then how am I..." She couldn't finish her question, but she didn't need to. Jake did know her well.

"I wished for it," he said, wiping a stray tear that slipped past Rose's defenses. He stayed staring at her eyes, marveling at the way they glistened with tears. Even while she was crying, she was still beautiful. He couldn't help but get lost in them. He only saw her eyes in his dreams; he hadn't experienced the feeling her eyes gave him for so long that it physically hurt his heart.

They stayed staring for some time until Rose spoke, "Why?"

Jake unconsciously found himself staring at her lips, the ones he dreamt of kissing. So pink, so soft. When he caught himself looking at them, he jerked himself to look back at her eyes, hoping Rose hadn't caught him staring at them. She did, of course, but didn't seem to mind. "Well," Jake mumbled, eyes drifting back to her lips for a moment then back to her eyes, "that's a little more complicated."

Rose licked her lips, only enticing Jake more. "We have time," she informed him, although she didn't actually know what time it was. Jake took this as a sign and leaned slightly forward. Rose didn't move back, though she didn't lean in either. She just stayed still, not breathing while keeping her eyes on Jake. They stayed in that position for a while.

Jake could hardly feel any pain anymore, choosing to focus on Rose instead. _Was I really going to kiss her?_ He asked himself. _Was it the right time? Was it too soon?_ Although, when was he going to get this chance again? Most likely never. If he didn't kiss her, there was still a chance he could see Rose again, but if he did, then this would definitely be the last time he hears from her. So was a kiss worth it?

 _I'm going to kiss her,_ he decided, leaning closer. When he saw Rose shut her eyes, he felt like melting. He was really going to kiss Rose after so long.

Of course, this had to be the moment when his friends decide to walk in. "Jakey!" Trixie yelled from the main door. They both snapped out of their trance and jerked back, creating more distance but still remained close. Jake was about to stand when his friends walked in, taking in their position.

It was Spud who spoke first. "Rose!" He said, obviously in shock. Trixie elbowed him, making a motion that was suppose to say, _Spud! This ain't the Rose that knows us and Jakey, so that means you ain't suppose to know her!_ Surprisingly, Spud was able to read the not-so-stuble signal and tried to correct himself. "Uh, I mean rose... from the ashes did the baby pheonix," He quoted, attempting to cover up his mistake with a poem he somehow remembered learning in school. He continued reciting the poem, acting it out and speaking confidently even though he did mess up a few times.

Jake chuckled, placing his working hand on his aching chest. "Nice save," he said before leaning his back against the foot-board. He barely realized just how tired he was. He ached, not even feeling pain anymore. He was starting to go numb with tiredness which was something he couldn't figure out if it was good or bad. Eventually, he decided on good. It was just like that saying, sleep is ignorance and ignorance is bliss. "It's ok guys, she knows."

Trixie stared at Rose for a moment, barely acknowledging her before turning her focus back to Jake. "She knows?" She asked. "And what exactly does she know?"

"The general stuff," Jake said, blinking heavily. "She's starting to remember."

"She is right here," Rose said, attempting to joke away the tension; however, Trixie didn't appreciate her humor.

"I know Miss. Thang, but right now you ain't even suppose t'be here," Trixie fired. "Jakey's suppose t'be asleep on the bed, not on the damn floor tryin' to help you with whateva you-"

"Trixie, that's enough," Jake said, getting on his feet. Trixie stood in shock. Here she was, trying to help Jake, and he repays her by scolding her. Just as she's about to argue against Jake, he told Rose she should leave. Despite how rude she said it, Trixie did have a point. He should be asleep on his bed, healing himself rather than wearing himself out and working against the healing process.

Rose nodded. "I need to get back anyways. My parents are waiting for me." Trixie scoffed at the word 'parents'. Spud took this opportunity to intervene.

"Me and Trix will go downstairs and distract your parents. You escort the lady out, man," He said, grabbing Trixie and forcefully dragging her out the door. She shot Jake one look before they left the room, Trixie rambling once she knew they were far away to be heard but not understood.

Jake sighed, putting his weight on the hand on the foot-board. He took a moment to gather his bearings, a moment Rose used to grab a crutch from the bedside and hand it to Jake. He smiled before slipping the crutch under him and walking out the room, nodding at Rose to follow him. He tried to walk as normally as possible, but all the strain he'd been putting on himself had finally taken his toll; Jake was exhausted by the time they made it to the door. Still, he put on a brave face and opened the door for her.

Rose hesitated. She wasn't ready to leave, but she knew she wasn't welcomed here. At least not by Jake's friends. She vaguely remembered a moment with Trixie in a wooden cabin and snow, but Rose wasn't sure where they stood. Rose walked out the door, turning around to say, "Thank you." Jake smiled. Rose started down the hallway and was waiting for the elevator when she unconsciously put her hand in her pocket. Jake had just turn around to close the door when Rose shouted, "Wait!" She came running down the hallway, holding something else in her hands. It was a piece of paper; Jake had a feeling he knew what it was but prayed he was wrong.

She held it out to him folded, and he relcutantly took it. It felt like it always did whenever he held it, giving him the same feeling of love and misery. Still, he unfolded it and looked the picture in his hand. Although the creases were more definite, the picture itself wasn't damaged. You could see the details clearly. You could see how black Jake's tux was, how sparkly Rose's dress was. How happy they were.

"You didn't explain everything honestly," Rose said, her hands nervously clutching into a fist in her pockets. Jake's did the same. Though he didn't necessarly lie, he didn't tell the complete truth, so it seems he broke the promise he made to himself. But things can always be fixed.

Jake looked over to his forgotten jacket and forced himself towards it. He grabbed it and opened the small pocket hidden in the inside. Before Homecoming, he would usually keep stuff that would get confinscated by Rotwood in school in that pocket. Now, it seemed memrobilia of Rose occupied the secret conpartment, such as the object he's taking out now and handing to Rose.

"Wear this to sleep tonight, and I promise things will make sense," He said, watching Rose's reaction. Rose cautiously grabbed the bracelet, holding it out in the palm of her hand and inspecting it. Blue beads and pyramids were connected by a black string. The very center of the bracelet held a purple pyramid incased in a gold lining. It seemed very familiar.

"I've seen it before," She told him, a sense of nostalgia going through her. Jake nodded in confirmation.

"It used to be yours," He said. Rose looked back at him.

"Why do I need to wear it?" She asked. Jake was about to explain when he heard the elevator ding. His stomach dropped. He started thinking what lie he could sell to his family when a business lady strutted down the opposite way of the hallway, hastily entering her room. He waited for anyone else to get off the elevator, but when no one did, he let out a sigh of relief. He turned back to Rose and saw she was just as relieved.

"Just wear it. Please?" He pleaded, something Rose couldn't refuse. She nodded her head and slipped the bracelet into her now empty pocket. The elevator was still open, so Rose took that as her sign to leave. She walked down the hallway, got into the elevator, and pressed the button that would take her to the lobby. Once the doors closed, she put her hands to her face and slid down the wall to the floor while sighing.

 _You were very rude leaving him like that,_ she scolded herself. _You didn't even say goodbye! Even though he was injured, he still helped you._

"Well yeah, but he was rude to me in the beginning," She argued.

 _Because you had him arrested when he tried to tell you all that you asked before,_ she countered.

"But that was because he practically jumped me!" She pleaded.

 _Because you wouldn't give him the time of day._ Rose stayed silent. _And now look at what you've done. I'm pretty sure he's like that because of you._

"No. Absolutely not," Rose denied. She couldn't of been the reason why Jake was so damaged both physically and emotionally.

 _Yes, you are. Why do you think he went to you in the first place? Why do you think he almost kissed you right now? Why do you think you almost let him kiss you?_ Rose didn't want to answer. _You have two options to believe in. Either it was to be with you again or to have you as an ally in his battle against the Dark Dragon._

Rose shook her head. "It's neither, and we're done with this discussion. I'm never going to see him again, anyways. After I wear this bracelet to sleep and get what I want, I'm done with him." Rose heard no resistance coming from herself. Whether it was her heart or her head arguing against her, Rose couldn't tell, but did it really make a difference?

"Yes. Yes it does," Rose whispered. The elevator dinged, shaking Rose out of her arguement. She removed her hands from her face, stood up, and smiled. The doors opened a second later and Rose found herself in front of Jake's family. She felt her heart stop until she realized they were laughing, their eyes closed. She used their moment of distraction as her moment of escape and quickly passed by them, mumbling an, "Excuse me." She managed to avoid Spud and Trixie's view also but heard someone say, "Rose?"

Unconsciously, she turned and met the eyes of Jake's little sister, Haley. They stared at each other. Rose could see something in her eyes, some sort of undying question, undying innocence. Although she didn't know exactly what Haley was asking, Rose nodded. Haley smiled then followed the rest of her family in the elevator, joining her father's ridiculous questions on Dragons and what happens to their clothes when they change.

Rose walked outside to the busy streets, taking out her cellphone. She saw it was 5:58, and knowing the hotel was about a 20 minute walk from her home, she called her parents to tell them she'd be late. "I just got caught up in studying that I lost track of time," She lied when they asked why. Even though she hated lying to her parents, Rose knew it was absolutely necessary. This was too important to have her parents stop her.

Clutching the bracelet in her pocket, she started the long walk home, her head aching all the way.

Meanwhile, Jake had found himself staring at the ceiling, thinking about what happened on this eventful day. He had trouble in believing today actually happened. _Maybe all the medicine I've been taken made me hallucinate everything,_ he joked, but the picture he now had folded on the nightstand convinced him he hadn't. Rose really did come here. She really is starting to remember. Jake only dreamed of something like this happening, and now that it did, he can't help but smile and laugh. Sure he felt pain in his chest, arms, legs, and head because of it, but he couldn't make himself regret his happiness.

He had fully intended to stay up until his family came back. They were just downstairs afterall; they'd only be a few minutes. But those minutes felt like hours to Jake's tired mind and body. He needed to rest, and so his eyes closed.

His family found him asleep, so they each said goodnight to Jake their own way. His parents kissed his forehead, Fu, Trixie, and Spud each touched his hand, and Gramps checked his wounds. Haley just smiled, eyes locking on the dream charm on Jake's wrist.


End file.
